What Are These Tiny Black Bugs on the Bathroom Floor?

The sight of bugs crawling on your bathroom floor or coming out of drains can trigger nightmarish horror images in the mind of any homeowner. Many people who call AAI Pest Control about “tiny, black bugs in my bathroom” are often concerned about the black bugs called drain flies. It is advisable to get rid of these bugs quickly even if they rarely transmit any diseases. This article discusses what you need to know about those bugs on your bathroom floor.

What They Are

Drain flies usually grow into adults which are about 1/5 or 1/6 of an inch in length. They have long furry antennae at the top of their heads. The adults look like moths because of the gray hairs which cover their entire bodies. Drain flies are also noticeable due to the seemingly disoriented way in which they fly, and the way they keep their wings above their bodies as if they are shielding the bodies from something above.

Their Life Cycle

Modesto pest control experts say that drain flies lay their eggs inside drains. Those eggs hatch within 32-48 hours after being laid. They grow rapidly and reach adulthood between 9-15 days. The bugs feed on the rotting organic matter inside the drains. Adults live for a maximum of three weeks before they die off.

Why Are These Bugs in My Bathroom?

Pest control professionals in Modesto say that most insects have a very simple view of what their preferred habitat should be. Insects prefer areas that are moist or humid and have a supply of food.

Your bathroom more that meets those requirements for drain flies. The water or moisture within the bathroom provides the ideal temperature and humidity conditions needed by these insects while the biofilm, dead body cells and any other organic matter within the drains provide food for the drain flies.

The drain flies you see on your bathroom floor may also have their home outdoors in the birdbaths, compost pile, sewer pipes, wet mops or any other moist surface on which they can lay their eggs.

Adult drain flies will then enter your home and bathroom through any crevices, window screens, drainpipes or any opening they can find.

Drain Fly Prevention and Control

You should first look for the different places where stagnant water exists when you observe a drain fly infestation in your home. As already mentioned, these tiny black bugs prefer to make their home in places that are moist.

AAI Pest Control advises homeowners to be thorough when looking for the breeding places of these pests since the tiniest amount of standing water, such as on the trays underneath indoor plants, can be sufficient to support a large number of these pests. Eliminate that standing water.

You also need to get rid of any accumulations of slime or debris inside the drains in your home. An anti-bacterial gel may be a better option for use rather than insecticides if you want to get rid of the drain flies inside the drains.

This is because the gel will last longer on the walls of the drains without affecting how well water flows through those pipes. In contrast, the insecticide will only kill the drain flies it gets in contact with and the water flowing through the pipes will wash the chemical away before it has a chance to eliminate all the drain flies inside the drain. Look for bacterial gels formulated for use in drains. Such gels will be safe to use.

Modesto pest control companies also advise that you clean garbage bins regularly and do everything possible to keep them dry. Remember, moisture is the number one attraction for drain flies.

Telling AAI Pest Control that “there are black bugs on bathroom floor” may not be sufficient information for them to identify the bugs and recommend an appropriate remedy. It is better for you to schedule a service call so that our professionals can make a correct identification of the pests you observed. Otherwise, the use of an improper pest control method could potentially worsen the existing infestation.